


kiss me once (cause you know I had a long night)

by ironicpotential



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24932293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/pseuds/ironicpotential
Summary: She takes the glass, swishing the amber liquid around for a moment before downing it all in one go. It lands back on the bar top with a clink.Dimples eyes her with equal parts concern and respect. “Rough night already?”
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Comments: 32
Kudos: 204





	kiss me once (cause you know I had a long night)

**Author's Note:**

> This little fic is a trivia prize for MoonLady (iflovesanvers). I hope you enjoy it!

“Kara Danvers, pick up your phone,” Alex curses under her breath as she paces across the wooden decking of the rooftop bar, “You promised that you wouldn’t do this again.”

The phone rings and rings until the call is pushed to voicemail. 

_ “You’ve reached Kara Danvers! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP!” _

Alex groans, hanging up before the tinny recording of Kara finishes her spiel, and slips her phone back into her pocket. She leans over the railing, gazing out at the boulevard. Three stories below, the citizens of National City scurry about like ants, rushing into bars for a post-work happy hour before they have to brave the endless slog that is the freeway on a Friday evening.

This isn’t the first time that Kara has bailed on her to chase a story— or a supervillain— but today it’s particularly frustrating. 

She had come out to Kara a few days prior, something she had agonized over for months. She had planned it all out to the letter. She would sit Kara down during their normal Sister Night and when Kara would ask about how her latest blind date went, she would gently explain why she didn’t want Kara to set her up with any more guys. 

Kara had been incredibly supportive— something Alex is endlessly thankful for— but somehow she’d made even Alex’s coming out about herself. A touching moment twisted into a guilt-ridden apology. 

They had been close since they were kids, talking long after the lights had gone out, but all of those hushed discussions had been about Kara’s secret. There hadn’t been any room for Alex. 

Her coming out was supposed to be just that:  _ hers. _ Instead, without realizing, Kara directed the attention back to her. 

_ She knew how it felt to keep a part of herself inside. _

As if  _ that  _ was supposed to make Alex feel better about the fact that she hadn’t discovered this amazing truth about herself until she was in her late twenties. 

Kara may have had to hide her powers in public, but she’d always had an outlet in Midvale. She could use her heat vision to cook turkeys and her super-speed to beat her sister to the hot water in the shower. 

She knew who she was at her core. Kara Zor-El of the planet Krypton. 

Meanwhile, Alex had to suffer through years of terrible dates that left her with nothing but disgust, wondering why she couldn’t fill the void that existed within. Wondering what was wrong with her. If she’d ever know what it felt like to desire. To love and be loved. 

They’d fought and Alex had stormed out, pizza and potstickers laying forgotten on Kara’s coffee table. Calls and texts were ignored and at the DEO, Alex treated Supergirl like any other freelancer. 

Then last night, Kara had shown up to her apartment with an apology and a pair of concert tickets. The band wasn’t really Alex’s kind of music, even with a lesbian singer, but Kara had made an effort and Alex loves her sister so the plan had been set. 

Now though, she’s considering reinstating the silent treatment. 

She glances down at her watch, the digital display reading 6:45. The show starts in fifteen minutes and still there’s no sign of her sister. 

She heads over to the bar, squeezing between a man with a handlebar moustache and a group of women chattering about the latest episode of  _ The Bachelor. _

“Whiskey, neat,” she says when the bartender catches her eye. 

She drums her fingers on the bar top as she waits for her order, eyes glued to her phone to avoid being caught up in conversation by Moustache. He gives up after a few minutes, leaving the bar in favor of trying his luck elsewhere, but his space is quickly taken up by another body. 

It’s a woman this time, shorter than Alex by a few inches, wearing a leather jacket like a second skin and leaning up against the bar like she owns it.

“Two Wolf Among Weeds and a 329 please.” She winks at Alex as she orders, as if she’s well aware of the effect that her husky voice and dimples have on women.

On Alex.

She’s been on Tinder for a few weeks, just testing the waters, and while she has swiped right on several women, this is the first time she’s been so instantly drawn to someone. Just one smile has her feeling like the entire floor has been swiped out from underneath her. 

The bartender sets her drink down in front of her and she pulls some crinkled bills out of her wallet, the brief distraction allowing her to catch her breath.

She takes the glass, swishing the amber liquid around for a moment before downing it all in one go. It lands back on the bar top with a clink.

Dimples eyes her with equal parts concern and respect. “Rough night already?”

“I got stood up,” Alex shrugs. 

The admission earns her a sympathetic look. “Your date sounds like a real jerk.”

“Not a date,” Alex corrects, gaze falling to the marble counter, “My  _ sister.  _ Which almost makes it worse.”

Resentment bubbles back up from where she’d thought it long buried. Tonight was supposed to be about  _ her. _

“Hey.” The husky voice turns soft, beckoning Alex to look back up. “Wait here just a minute, okay?”

Alex nods, swirling the ice around in her empty glass. She watches as Dimples takes the beers she had ordered to a pair seated at a small table in the corner of the rooftop. They’re both visibly queer and for a moment, jealousy curdles in her stomach as Dimples chats with them. But then they lean into each other, one tucking themselves into the other’s side.

They’re not dating Dimples then— an idea that fills Alex with a strange kind of relief. 

Whatever they say to Dimples has her rolling her eyes and soon she is heading back to the bar.

“Sorry about that.” She smiles and Alex’s stomach swoops. “I’m Maggie.” 

“Alex.” She wipes her palm on her jeans before holding it out for a handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you Alex.” She takes a sip of her beer, then turns her full attention to Alex. “So are you a fan of the band?

Alex snorts. “I’ve never heard of them before in my life.”

Maggie tilts her head to the side, inviting her to continue. Normally Alex is a private person, but there’s something about this woman that makes her want to open up. 

Well, that or the glass of whiskey she’d just downed. 

Liquid courage.

“I just came out,” she admits, “My sister bought the tickets. Lesbian band for the lesbian sister. It was supposed to be… I don’t know. Maybe I should just go.”

She turns from the bar but is stopped by Maggie’s hand on her arm.

“If you just came out, you deserve a celebration,” Maggie says softly, “Maybe I could hang out with you instead?”

Alex knows the offer has probably been extended out of pity, but she can’t help the little thrill that runs through her when she thinks about spending time with this beautiful woman. She’d drawn the attention of other women on various dating apps— even flirted with them— but she hasn’t had the courage to ask one out on a date. Not that it had gotten to that point. Once they find out she’s freshly out, the texts stop fairly abruptly. 

Who’s to say that Maggie won’t be the same?

She hesitates. “Won’t your friends miss you?” 

Maggie doesn’t even spare them a second thought. “Nah, they’ll be fine. I’m their third wheel anyway.”

They make their way down the stairs to the main venue space and Maggie guides her through the crowd with a hand on her back. The band starts up and while the music isn’t really to Alex’s taste, Maggie seems to be enjoying herself. The movement of her hips is mesmerizing and Alex’s heart thumps in time to the bass as Maggie urges her to sway along with her.

She wonders how she ever thought she was straight. 

When the band announces their last song, she’s flooded with disappointment at the reminder that her night is almost over. It’s a slower melody, but it’s clearly one of their most popular songs, judging by the way the entire crowd starts singing along. Maggie seems to know all the words too. 

The crowd starts filtering out and she lingers by the entrance of the club to check her phone. It’s nearly midnight and she has dozens of texts from Kara, each more desperate for her reassurance. She returns the phone to her pocket. She isn’t in the mood to hear about how Cat Grant overworks her sister.

When she looks back up, she’s surprised to see that Maggie is still standing beside her. She had expected her to seek out her friends after the show ended. 

“So listen,” Maggie clears her throat, palming the back of her neck, “If you’re not doing anything after this… maybe we could grab a bite to eat?”

Alex searches the dwindling crowd for Maggie’s friends. “You’re all going out?”

Maggie bites her lip. “Well I thought it could be... just us.”

“You mean-” She feels her face heat up, suddenly self conscious about the way her shirt is plastered to her back with sweat. It’s one thing for Maggie to want to hang out with her at a show she was already at, it’s another for her to voluntarily agree to spend more time with her at another location. “Like. A date?”

She thought she’d been imagining the way Maggie’s gaze lingered on her instead of the band, but maybe this attraction is less one-sided than she thought. 

“A date," Maggie confirms, dimples popping as she smiles, "If you’re interested I mean. I know I was just a placeholder tonight, but I thought we had fun.”

“No!” Maggie’s smile falls and Alex scrambles for the words that will chase the insecurity in her eyes away. “I mean- Yes! I’d love to go out with you. On a date.”

She’d spent the first part of her night angry at her sister for bailing on her, but now, when Maggie takes her hand, Alex thinks she might owe Kara more than one order of potstickers.

They walk a few blocks to a late night diner famous for their waffles, squeezing into a small corner booth with cracked seats. 

“This place has the best burgers,” Maggie grins at her over a worn plastic menu, “We get takeout at the precinct every Thursday.” 

“You’re a cop?” 

“A detective.” Her chest puffs up with pride. “Just transferred from Gotham. Science Division.” 

“That explains why I haven’t seen you around. I’m FBI.”

“A fed?” Maggie raises an eyebrow. “Good thing you’re cute.” 

Alex ducks behind the menu, hoping it will hide her blush, but delighting in the attention all the same.

The waitress comes to take their order (two burgers and an order of fries and a chocolate milkshake to share) and despite the late hour, Alex feels so alive. 

Maggie is brilliant and funny and beautiful— everything Alex has been missing in her life. They swap stories about work, commiserating about the long hours spent poring over case files or on stakeouts. They discuss theories about television shows, Maggie promising to sit her down to watch a favorite program. And as the night wears on, Alex finds herself revealing more personal details like memories of her father and the pressure she’s under to succeed. 

They talk long after they finish their food and before she realizes it, the clock has struck two. 

“Ugh,” Maggie groans, checking her watch, “I’ve got a shift in the morning.”

Alex’s heart falls. This is her first date with a woman. Well, with anyone she’s actually interested in. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t want the night to end, but she supposes that the spell had to break eventually. 

“I guess we should go then,” she murmurs, picking at a stray fry on her plate.

“I guess so.” Maggie seems just as reluctant to move, but eventually she rises up from the booth. She leaves a small pile of cash on the table and Alex doesn’t fight her over the bill. There’s a small part of her that hopes there will be a second date. One where she could pay. “Did you drive? Or?”

Alex shakes her head in the negative. She’d expected Kara to be able to give her a lift so she’d taken an Uber. 

That seems to perk Maggie back up. “My bike is back at the club. Can I give you a ride?”

“That would be great.” 

Maggie’s bike turns out to be a Triumph Bonneville T100 and Alex shivers as she wraps her arms around Maggie’s waist. It all feels a bit like a dream.

The ride is quick and when the bike pulls up in front of Alex’s apartment building, Maggie insists on walking her up.

The trek down the long stretch of hallway between the elevator and her door has never felt so short.

Alex knows how she wants tonight to end, but she’s nervous and it’s late and Maggie’s dimples are so distracting that instead of just surging forward and kissing the girl she wants to kiss, she says: “I can’t believe you asked me out.”

“Are you kidding?” Maggie’s voice is laced with disbelief. “Alex, you’re gorgeous.”

“Flattery.” She can feel the blush creeping up her neck and she fights the urge to giggle. “I guess I need to thank Kara for flaking.”

“Even if you’d been with your sister, I would have found a way to slip you my number at the bar,” Maggie flirts. 

“You didn’t even know I was gay!” Alex shoves her shoulder, but she’s grinning now too. 

“You were wearing a leather jacket to a concert fronted by a lesbian, I had to take the chance.” 

Alex takes a step forward, sliding her hand into Maggies. “Well, I’m glad you did.”

“Me too.” 

Alex isn’t used to this kind of intimacy, this feeling of belonging. At any moment, one of her neighbors could poke their head out, yet when she’s standing with Maggie, it feels like they’re the only people in the world. The hallway light flickers and Maggie’s eyes dart to her lips.

“Hey, Alex,” she murmurs, “Can I kiss you?”

Alex nods, her eyes shuttering closed as Maggie gently frames her face with her hands. When their lips touch, Alex’s heart leaps. The kiss is soft and slow and meaningful and Alex is sure that nothing has ever felt as good as this. Not getting an A on a difficult organic chemistry exam or stealing the last slice of pizza. Not bringing down an alien twice her size. Not even catching the choicest wave. 

When Maggie pulls away, Alex sighs, certain that there is a dopey look plastered across her face. “Wow. I am  _ so  _ gay.”

Maggie laughs, brushing Alex’s cheek with her thumb. “So if I asked you out again, you’d say yes?”

“Definitely.”

“You free Tuesday night?”

Alex considers it. Tuesday night is normally Sister Night and while she might have been miffed that Kara ditched her, she’s happy that the night turned out the way it did. Plus, once she tells Kara about tonight, she knows her sister will want all the sordid details. 

“How about Wednesday?” 

“Wednesday is perfect.” Maggie grins. “Do you play pool? I know just the place.”


End file.
